Sunday, 28 January 2018

Pakistan’s Chinese umbrella, Babar Ayaz

The basic terms of the
Pakistan-US relations policy, as laid by the Quaid, drastically changed after
9/11.

US President Trump’s
undiplomatic and harsh tweet that accused Pakistan of harbouring terrorists
regarding Pakistan has provoked fury in the country, particularly in the
hyper-nationalist politicians and media.

The
problem with practicing politics and diplomacy via 280 characters of Twitter is
that it can only give an incomplete version of what was actually meant to be. A
short statement on Twitter fails to provide a right perspective of the complex
issues. Instead of being utilised as a useful tool, Twitter has ended up being
used recklessly.

The
trouble with conducting sophisticated, diplomatic politics through 280
characters is that such tweets gives very terse messages. A short tweet
statement cannot give a right perspective to the complex issues but in spite of
the inadequacy of this medium it has become fashionable to use it recklessly.

The
US State Department is now busy in damage limitation and redeeming the
disappointment caused by Trump’s Tweet. The recent visit by Alice Wells was a
telling evidence of it.

The
US State Department officials are now trying the dilute the impact of the harsh
messaging by President Trump. The recent visit of Alice Wells, Principal Deputy
Assistant Secretary was part of this exercise.

The
relation between any two countries is based on the mutual interests and not on
any selfless sentimental value.

The
relation between any two countries are based on the self interest and not on
any altruistic sentimental value.

Pakistan-US
relations have seen many ups and down. The foundation of Pakistan-US relations,
till recently, was based on the vision of Pakistan’s founder, Quaid-e-Azam.

While all earlier engagements with the US were
relations between consenting adults and solicited by Pakistan, the post 9/11
marriage was forced

The
relationship between the two countries can even be dated back to
pre-Independence India.

On
1st, May 1947, two American visitors, Raymond A. Hare, Head of the Division of
South Asian Affairs, and Thomas E. Weil, Second Secretary of the US Embassy in
India, visited Jinnah in his Bombay residence.

Even
before Pakistan’s inception on May 1, 1947 Pakistan movement’s Mr Jinnah
“received two American visitors at his Bombay residence, they were Raymond A.
Hare, Head of the Division of South Asian Affairs, and Thomas E. Weil, Second
Secretary of the US Embassy in India… ” Jinnah, who sought to impress the
American visitors, told them that the emergence of a new state in the Indian
subcontinent would serve as a strategic asset of American interests. He assured
them that the Muslim countries would stand together against the Russian
aggression.

He
(Jinnah) sought to impress on his visitors that the emergence of an
independent, sovereign Pakistan would be in consonance with American interests.
Pakistan would be a Muslim country. Muslim countries would stand together
against Russian aggression.”

The
leaders of the newly created Pakistan lived under the fear of Indian aggression
and to strengthen its rag-tag army, they needed American support,. And and as a
trade-off, they offered their services to counter the socialist threat to the
region.

Pakistan
was driven by the perceived Indian threat and pandering to its military
leadership kept on getting in deeper relations with the US. First they signed a
Mutual Defence Pact in 1954,which had a clause to combat any communist
insurgency. Pakistan then joined the Baghdad Pact/CENTO and SEATO. Khawaja
Nazimuddin who resisted joining an alliance was booted out by Ghulam Mohammed.

US
military assistance kept on pouring in and training to senior officials
continued till 1965 when it was stopped because Pakistan had launched the
covert ‘Operation Gibraltar’ across the LOC. As military assistance given to
Pakistan was with the caveat that it would not be used for offensive purposes,
US stopped military equipment supplies to both the countries. The common
refrain was that the ‘US was not a reliable friend’. Isn’t the same message
echoing today?

Military
and civilian assistance was revived in 1975, but only to be discontinued under
Symington Amendment in 1979 showing concern over Pakistan’s Nuclear Programme.

But
all principles against nuclear proliferation were soon forgotten by the US once
the Soviet Union forces entered on the invitation of the Afghanistan left
government to curb Pakistan sponsored insurgency. So Pakistan kept the promise
made by its leaders in 1947 to be the frontline state against Soviet Union.

It
must be highlighted here that it was General Zia and the US Administration
which created a number of Islamic Jihadi groups of Afghans and Pakistanis from
1979-89. The US and Pakistan are reaping the bloody harvest of this dangerous
policy. As most Mujahideen were selling almost 50 to 70% arms and ammunition in
Pakistan, the country has seen proliferation of at least $1.5 to 2 billion weapons.

True,
the Americans left us high and dry to deal with these Islamic warriors and the
‘Islamic techno-guerillas’.

After
the withdrawal of Soviet forces withdrawal in 1989, the US was reminded of
Pakistan’s nuclear programme and all military and economic assistance was
stopped under the Pressler Amendment. This was done on the pretext assurance
that Pakistan was is not following the nuclear bomb programme. , But the
evidence suggested that American claims were not true. but the evidence
was on the contrary.

But
once the World Trade Towers were blown by Al Qaeda, the US gave no option to
Pakistan but to join the war against terrorism. While all earlier engagements
with the US were relations between consenting adults and solicited by Pakistan,
the post 9/11 marriage was forced.

The
basic terms of the Pakistan-US relations policy, as laid by the Quaid,
drastically changed after 9/11. We had chosen to serve the US against communist
Soviet Union expansion but not against the Islamist militants. Particularly,
when Pakistan had itself installed the fascist Taliban leadership.

Thus,
President Musharraf decided to play the double game with the US by covertly
supporting Afghan Taliban to fight in Afghanistan and at the same time,
handover Al-Qaeda leadership to the US. The same policy was continued by
continued by our establishment. The US leadership has been constantly telling
us to stop supporting the Taliban and Haqqani network. Whenever they raise this
issue, our government starts talking talks about the military operation against
the Pakistani Taliban and Daesh.

This
indeed is half of the truth, half the truth because we have given some
sacrifices while fighting against the Islamic militants who were challenging
the writ of Pakistani state government. This is undoubtedly Pakistan’s
existentialist war. But it is not what the Americans are talking about. They
are more concerned about the different set of militant groups i.e. Afghan
Taliban and Haqqani network.

The
Americans seems to have an illusion that Pakistan can take action against
Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani group in KP. The Pakistan establishment is
reluctant to open a new front against these Afghanistan specific Taliban mainly
because it fears the backlash from these organisations organization and their
supporters. And at the same time, as stated above, Pakistani establishment is
under the delusion that Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network are Pakistan’s
assets in an otherwise hostile Afghanistan.

At
the same time, Pakistan government is now playing hard bowl with the US because
Pakistan’s establishment thinks that it can now afford to move away from the
US, thanks to the changed geo-strategic situation of the region with the rise
of the China and Russia bloc. Pakistan has opted for this new umbrella.

About Me

Dr Shabir Choudhry has done extensive research on the issue of Kashmir and Indo Pakistan relations. He passed BA Honours in Politics and History, and Mphil in International Relations (title of the thesis, ‘Kashmir and Partition of India’); and title of his PhD thesis is ‘Kashmir- An issue of a nation not a dispute of a land’.

Apart from this Dr Shabir Choudhry passed Post Graduates Certificates in Education, and NVQ Assessor’s qualifications; and taught English in London.

Political Achievements

Founder member of JKLF (Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front established in 1977) and got elected as a Press Secretary in 1984.

Became its Secretary General in 1985, and resigned from this post in 1996.

Got elected President of JKLF and Europe in May 1999, and decided not to contest in elections of July 2001.

Said good - bye to the JKLF as it is in many groups and is largely seen as advancing a Pakistani agenda on Kashmir dispute, and set up a new party Kashmir National Party in May 2008.

.

At present, he is:

·Spokesman Kashmir National Party and Director Diplomatic Committee;

·Spokesman for International KashmirAlliance;

·Founder member and Director Institute of Kashmir Affairs;

Previously

·A founder Member and Trustee/ Director of London based registered charity, Kashmir Foundation International and resigned from this position in August 2001.

·Regularly take part in the Sessions of the UN Human Rights (Commission) now Council in Geneva; and address various conferences and seminars to oppose violence and highlight the Kashmir cause.

·Participated in a Round Table Conference on Kashmir, organised by Socialist Group of European Parliament in Brussels in 1993.

·Addressed as a Chief Guest in a seminar on issue of Mangla Dam during the UN Sub Commission’s proceedings in August 2003.

·Addressed as a key - note speaker in a seminar on the issue of Gilgit and Baltistan, organised by Association of British Kashmiris.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker on human rights conference in Paris in 1991.

·Addressed at CambridgeUniversity as a Chief Guest in a conference on Kashmir in 1990.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker at New Delhi conference on Kashmir, which was part of Track Two diplomacy in November 2000.

·In September 2008, addressed a Conference arranged by Interfaith International in Geneva, topic of which was:“Kashmir Issue, Terrorism and Human Rights”.

·Addressed as a speaker in a NGO Conference on Self - Determination in Geneva in August 2000.

·Addressed as a keynote speaker in a fringe meeting of Liberal Democrats at their Annual Conference in Brighton in 1995.

·Participated in World Human Rights Conference in Vienna in 1993.

·Before President Clinton's visit to India and Pakistan in 2000, lead a JKLF delegation to the State Department to discuss Kashmir dispute and situation in South Asia.

·Also had two rounds of meetings with senior State Department officials before President Musharraf’s meeting to Washington in June 2003.

·Apart from that had meetings with senior officials including Ministers of different countries, and also held many meetings with the State Department and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials on number of occasions.

·Played important role in advancing a Kashmiri perspective on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir; and also helped Baroness Emma Nicholson with her report ‘Kashmir: present situation and future prospects’, which was adopted by the European Parliament in May 2007.

·Won first prize in an essay competition in Urdu in 1976. It was organised by High Commission of Pakistan in London, and title of the essay was 'Qaaid-e- Azam's role in Islamic History'.

·Apart from that have addressed conferences in Brussels, Geneva, Toronto, Islamabad, Delhi, and

Publications

·Got first Urdu novel ‘Fareena’ published at the age of eighteen.

·Second Urdu novel ‘Bay-Khataa’ which was about the problems of Asian youths living in UK published in 1983.

·Third Urdu book ‘Pakistan and Kashmiri struggle for independence’ published in 1990.

·Fourth Urdu book is also on Kashmiri struggle, 'Is an independent Kashmir a conspiracy?'

·Apart from that has twenty books and booklets published in English on various aspects of the Kashmiri struggle.

·Recent publications are: Kashmir dispute as I see it

·Different perspective on Kashmir

·JKLF visit to Pakistan Administered Kashmir

·Kashmir Needs Change of Heart

·If not self - determination then what?

·Emma Nicholson report- who has won?

·Struggle for independence, Jihad or proxy war (Introduction by Baroness Emma Nicholson)

·

Future publications

Following books were completed some time ago and shall be published in near future:

In Search of Freedom - My visit to Srinagar and Islamabad

Kashmir and Partition of India

A brief background

Dr Shabir Choudhry was born in a small village called Nakker Shimali (near Panjeri) in District Bhimber, Azad Kashmir. He went to UK in 1966, and like other people from the region, holds a dual nationality. He left secondary school in 1970 with no qualifications and began his life as a textile worker.

In 1975 he started part time studies and passed Matriculation from Government High School Panjeri, passed ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels from UK, and resumed full time degree course in 1981, and passed BA (Hons) in Politics and History in 1984.

He continued full time and part time jobs until he got his Mphil. He passed his PGCE (Post Graduates Certificate in Education) in 1990, and then started full time job as a Lecturer. Due to health problems he resigned from teaching in 1999. At present he is self - employed, provides private tuition, translation and interpretation and consultancy.

Through out his adult life he has actively worked for the cause of Kashmir, and even during long illness he effectively carried out his responsibilities as a leader of the JKLF, a ‘prolific writer’ and consistent campaigner of Rights Movement and peace in Jammu and Kashmir and South Asia.